Sheet positioning and feeding device for printing presses



R. D. HAWES 2,451,388

SHEET POSITIONING AND FEEDING DEVICE FOR PRINTING PRESSES Dist. 12, 1948.

Filed Sept. 10,1947 2 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 12, 1948. R. D. HAWES 2,451,338

SHEET POSITIONING AND FEEDING DEVICE FOR PRINTING PRESSES Filed Sept. 10.11947 2 Sheets-Shed 2 INVEN TOR.

RiEhardDJ-IBWEE,

Patented Oct. 12, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Richard D. Hawes, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application September 10, 1947, Serial No. 773,097

11 Claims.

This invention relates to printing presses of the type that have tilting transfer tables or boards for receiving a sheet of paper and delivering the sheet to the press, and more particularly to means, such as a sheet contacting member on the table for positioning and positively feeding a sheet of paper, and particularly when the sheets are not out square. These slidable and movable memhers can be adjusted separately with reference to each other so that if the edge of the sheet is not parallel with the axis of the cylinder, the members can be set so that said sheets will be fed to the press in perfect alignment with the side edges thereof. Thus the sheets will be presented to the press in perfect alignment, even though they may not be out accurately.

Some types of printing presses are provided with a transfer table or board that is tilted backwardly to receive a sheet of paper from a supply stack or the like, and is then tilted forwardly to slide the sheet to the press. This basic feature is incorporated in the well-known Miehle vartioal presses. These presses have enjoyed great popularity but are sometimes defective in handling the paper on the transfer board. 7

It frequently occurs that the paper, when fed to the transfer board, is not always properly positioned. Consequently, the sheet becomes mangled or is fed crookedly to the press and it becomes necessary to stop the press and remove the sheet. In addition, the sheets frequently stick to the transfer board and fail to slide into the press.

Having in mind the defects of the priorart apparatus, it is an object of the present invention to provide means for properly positioning a sheet of paper on the transfer board of a printing press and for positively feeding the sheet from the board to the press.

It is another object of the invention to provide means for ositioning sheets of various sizes on a transfer board and positively moving said sheets from the board. 7

It is still another object of the invention to provide means adapted for adjustable mounting on a transfer board to position a sheet on said board and positively move said sheet therefrom.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a transfer board or table having adjustable means for positioning a sheet thereon and moving said sheet therefrom.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a transfer board sheet positioning and moving means that has economy of construction, simplicity of design and certainty of operation.

The foregoing objects and others auxiliary thereto are preferably accomplished, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, by a gravity operated sheet positioning and moving member that is movably mounted on a transfer board or table. The member may comprise a stop member or flap that is pivotally mounted on a support that is adapted for adjustable mounting on the transfer board. The flap is preferably suspended so that it is swung by gravity and/or may be provided with a weight for increasing the gravitational force thereon. In the latter case, the weight, preferably, is free of the flap and movable relative thereto so as to strike the flap upon forward tilting of the trans= fer board to impart a sudden movement. or kick thereto.

Specifically, the present invention comprises a box-like housing having its front wall pivotally suspended between its side walls and enclosing a ball of metal or other heavy material. The box is of. a size to permit the ball to roll freely within the box to and from the suspended front wall. The box is mounted on the transfer board so that its front wall faces the press. at least two of the boxes are mounted on a transfer table or board to properly square'the rear edge of the sheet of paper.

Consequently, when the table is tilted back wardly, the ball rolls to the back of the box and the front wall swings rearwardly to close the box, said wall being positioned by a stop preferably in the form of a flange extending inwardly at its top edge to contact the top wall of the box.

The front wall has a tongue extending from its bottom edge down into a slot in the bottom,

wall, which extends outwardly beyond the front wall, the front edge of said slot limiting the forward movement of the tongue and front wall and the rear edge of said slot assistingthe in are preferably provided with a lug or lip protruding forwardly from their lower portions to overlie and catch the rear edge of the paper to hold the paper sheet flat and against the front walls, particularly if the paper has a tendency to curl. After the sheet is delivered and positioned on the transfer board, the board is.

then tilted automatically forwardly which causes the front walls or flaps to swing forwardly by gravity to push the sheet to the press. Simul= taneously, the balls are rolled forward by gravity to strike the front walls to increase the impetus of their swinging movement which gives the pa per sheet a kick or sudden jolt to drive it forwardly into the press.

The bottom portions of the side walls and'parts Normally,

of the front and rear walls of the box are cut away to free the side edges of the bottom wall so that it may be slidably mounted in a groove in the top of the transfer table. The table or board is preferably provided with at least two such grooves in its top and which extend longitudinally of the movement of the paper or from back to front in the board. The'upper edges of these grooves extend inwardly to overlie the side edges of the box bottom. A leaf spring is fixed to the bottom of the box and biased-against the bottom of the groove to frictionally retain the box in ad--- justed position in the groove but will readily permit adjustment of the box longitudinally in the' groove to accommodate paper sheets of different sizes.

The novel features that are consideredcharacteristic of the invention .are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood from the following description of a specific embodiment when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate tional views taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2 and with the table titled backwardly and forwardly,

respectively; a

Fig. is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on-lin 66 of Fig. 5, and

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 1-1 of Fig, 5.

Referring to the drawings and specifically to 'Fig. 1, a typical Miehle vertical press of well' known construction is shown as comprising a base frame I ll including a way frame I I that supports a vertically disposed type bed for vertical An impression cylin-' Y reciprocatory movement. der I2 is mounted on a cylinder frame'l3 for vertical reciprocatory movement in opposition to that of the type bed and is provided with grippers for clamping the edge of a sheet to its cylindrical surface. In one direction of vertical reciprocation the impression cylinder i2 is retated to impress a sheet carried thereby against a type form set up in the type bed.

A transfer table or board, I4 is also carried by the cylinder frame l3 to reciprocate with the cylinder l2 and is simultaneouslytilted back and forth. A stock table l5 for carrying a stacks of sheet stock, is positioned adjacent the path of the board [4 We bracket it which also pivotally supports a feeder frame I! that is reciprocable between the stock table l5 and the transfer board to feed a'sheet'from-the stackto- 4 side walls of the way frame H to remove the printed sheets from the impression cylinder l2. This delivery mechanism includes a pivotally mounted pick-up frame 20 which 're'ciprocates in timed relation with the'movement of the cylinder l2 to grip the printed sheet thereon and deliver it to, and deposit it on, a delivery table 2|.

The details and operation of the Miehle vertical .presses are well-known and are only briefly described herein to illustrate the background of the present invention. In the operation of the hereinbefore described press, the cylinder frame I3 is raised and the transfer board 14 is tilted backwardly as indicated in broken lines in Fig. 1.

Simultaneously, the feeder frame I! which has picked-up a sheet from the stack S, deposits the sheet onthe rearwardly tilted board M, while the delivery pick-up frame 29 grips a printed sheet from the impression cylinder l2 to transfer it to the delivery table 2|. t3 then descends while the feeder frame I! moves to the stock table IE to pick up another sheet from the stack S and the delivery frame 20 moves to the delivery table 2| to deposit the printed sheet thereon;

-When the'cylinder frame [3 descends, the suction through the apertures I9 is stopped and the transfer board [4 is tilted forwardly to cause the sheet thereon to slide forwardly by gravity into the grippers on the cylinder I2. The cylinder frame I3 is then raised again which causes the impression cylinder l2 to roll up the way frame H to withdraw the sheetffrom the board 14 and around its circumference to be rolled upwardly in contactwith the type form on the type bed in the way frame H and be imprinted thereby. The operation is then repeated. 7

When the sheet is deposited on the board M it is laterally registered by the frame I8 and is gripped in position by suction through the apertures l9. The-frontedge of the sheet is supposed to be aligned with the front of the board i4 upon transfer by the feeder frame l1.

transferred by the feeder frame [1, slides slightly on the'tilted transfer board M or otherwise fails to register with the front'of the board l4. Consequently, the press operators frequently stick pinsftacks, nails or the like into the transfer board M to form back stops or ,abiitments for the rea'r'ed'ge of the sheet as it is deposited on the board to retain the sheet in position with its front edge in alignment with the front of the board.

Still another difliculty frequently occurs when the sheet is fed from the'transfer board it to the impression cylinder I2. As previously stated this feeding action is effected by' inclining'the board M to cause'the sheet to slide down to the grippers on the cylinder l2. It frequently happens however, that the sheet sticks to the board I4 sufficiently to retard the sliding action of the sheet until the cylinder frame-l3 starts to rise and the board starts to tilt backwards, and, consequently, fails, properly or altogether, to be transferred to the cylinder l2.

The present invention overcomes the herein before enumerated difficulties by the provision of a transfer table or board having adjustable backstop and positive feeding means thereon as indicated in Fig. l and clearly shown in Fig. 2. According to the present invention the transfer board is provided in its upper surface with a pair of parallel grooves 25 which extend longitudinally of the path of sheet movement and with a sheet The cylinder frame Frequently,- however, the sheet becomes twisted while being 7 back stop and feeding device 23 slidably mounted in each of said grooves 25. The grooves 25, as best shown in Fig. 6, are each lined with a channel member 21 having inturned edge flanges 28 to overlie the edge portions of the grooves.

As best shown in Fig. 5, the devices 26 comprise an open front box-like housing 26 which includes a top wall 2s, side Walls 30, a rear wall 3| and a bottom wall 32 which are rigidly connected. A front wall 33 is pivotally suspended on a pin 34 that spans the side walls 30 in their upper front corners so that the front wall 33 forms a flap that swings back and forth due to gravity as the box 25 is tilted. In addition, a ball 35, or other suitable weight, is enclosed within the housing to gravitate back and forth to strike the front wall 33 to increase its forward movement. The front wall 33 has a lip 36 formed outwardly and protruding downwardly from the central lower portion of the wall.

The front wall or flap 33 has its side edges turned back as flanges 3'! which are journalled on the pin 34, and its top edge is turned back as a flange 38 to form a stop for engaging the top wall 29 of the box 26'. In addition, a tongue 33 extends downwardly from the bottom of the flap 33 to ride in a slot 4!] in an extension 32' of the bottom wall 32 of the box 26. A portion of the extension 32 in front of the slot 40 is formed upwardly to define a front stop 4| for the tongue 38 to limit the forward movement of the flap 33 as indicated in broken lines in Fig. 5. The rear end 42 of the slot 40 forms a backstop for the tongue 39 to assist the flange 33 in limiting the backward movement of the flap 33.

The extension 32' has a leaf spring 43 secured to its underside to retain the device 28 in position in the groove 25 but which will permit easy adjustment of the device 25 along the groove 25 to accommodate sheets of different sizes on the transfer board !4. The spring 43 has a downwardly bowed portion 44 for resiliently and frictionally engaging the bottom of the groove 25 to hold the device 25 in selected position and the spring 43 has an upwardly extending free portion 45 at its end to form a finger piece for biasing the bowed portion 44 away from the bottom of the groove 25 to facilitate the adjustment of the device 23 therealong. The bottom portions of the box 25' are cut away to free the side edges I 45 of the bottom wall 32, the side walls 30 being completely cut away as at 41, the rear wall 3| having notches 48 cutting away its lower corners, and the front Wall 33 being cut away at its bottom to the tongue 39.

In the operation of the invention, a device 26 is inserted in each of the grooves 25 by pressing the finger piece 45 of the spring 43 toward the box 25 to lift the engaging portion 44. The bottom wall 3232 of the device is then inserted ondwise into the channel 2'! so that its side edges 43 underlie the channel flanges 28, whereupon the device 28 may be positioned longitudinally of the groove 25 in accordance with the size of the sheet to be employed. The finger piece 45 is then released so that the portion 44 of the spring 43 may bias to resiliently engage the bot- .tom of the groove 25 to frictionally retain the device 23 in selected position. The transfer board i4 is then ready for the operation of the press.

When the press is in operation, the transfer board I4 is tilted rearwardly, as shown in Fig. 3, to receive a sheet P of paper or the like. When the board [4 is tilted the ball 35 rolls by gravity to the rear of the box 26 and the flap 33 swings by gravity rearwardly until stopped by its top flange 38 engaging the top 29 of the box and its tongue 39 abutting the end 42 of the slot 40. When the sheet P is deposited on the board l4 by the feeder frame l'l, its rear edge engages the flap 33 to be registered thereby with front of the board. When the sheet P is placed on the board l4, its rear edge is inserted beneath the lip 36 which holds the sheet down in the event that it has a. tendency to curl.

When the board I4 is tilted forwardly to cylinder feeding position, the flap 33 swings forward, due to gravity, to push the sheet P toward the impression cylinder if so the front edge of the sheet is positively fed to the cylinder grippers. In addition, the ball 35 rolls to the front of the box 26, due to gravity, and strikes the flap 33 to increase the impetus of the movement of the flap and suddenly jolt the flap to kick the sheet P toward the cylinder 12. The action of the ball weight overcomes the weight of the sheet aswell as any tendency of the sheet to stick to the board I4 and insures positive feeding of the sheet to the cylinder l2. As the rear edge of the sheet P is hooked under the lip 36, it is prevented from sliding up the flap 33 and the sheet is positively moved. The forward movement of the flap 33 is arrested by its tongue 39 abutting the stop 4| which prevents the flap 33 from swinging forward to an inoperative position.

Although a certain specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it is obvious that many modifications thereof are possible. The invention, therefore, is not to be restricted except insofar as is necessitated by the prior art and by the spirit of the appended claims.

That which is claimed, as new, is:

l. A sheet feeding device which comprises a support and a sheet contacting member mounted on said support for movement by gravity to feed a sheet in contact therewith.

2. A sheet feeding device which comprises a support and a sheet contacting member sus pended from said support for movement by gravity to feed a sheet in contact therewith.

3. A sheet feeding device which comprises a support, a sheet contacting member mounted to said support for movement by gravity to feed a sheet in contact therewith, and a protrusion on said member for overlying the contacting edge of a sheet.

4. A sheet feeding device which comprises a support, a sheet contacting member mounted to said support for movement by gravity to feed a sheet in contact therewith, and a weight subject to gravity movement to assist the movement of said member.

5. A sheet feeding device which comprises a support, a sheet contacting member mounted to said support for movement by gravity to feed a sheet in contact therewith, and a weight free of the member and subject to gravity movement into contact with said member to impel movement of said member.

6. A sheet feeding device which comprises a support, a sheet contacting member mounted to said support for movement by gravity to feed a sheet in contact therewith, a protrusion on said member for overlying the contacting edg of a sheet, and a weight subject to gravity movement to assist the movement of said member.

7. A sheet feeding device which comprises a support, a sheet contacting member mounted to said support for movement by gravity to feed a sheet in contact therewith, a protrusion on said member for overlying the contacting edgeof a sheet, and a weight freely carried by said support for gravity movement into contact with said member to impel movement of said member.

8. A sheet feeding device for tilting printing press transfer boards, which'device Comprises a box member having an open front, a flap suspended across said open front to feed a sheet upon movement by gravity, and a ball within said box member for gravity movement against said flap to impel movement thereof. I

9. 'A sheet feeding device for tilting printing press transfer boards, which device comprises a box member having an open front, a fiapsuspended within said open front to feed a sheet upon movement by gravity, a lip protruding from said flap to overlie the contacting edge of a sheet, and a ball within said box for gravity movement against said flap to impel movement thereof.

10; A sheet feeding device for tilting printing press transfer boards, which device comprises a box member having an open front, a flap sus-v pended within said open front to feed a sheet upon movement by gravity, a lip protruding from said flap to overlie the contacting edge of a sheet, a slot in the bottom of said box member, a tongue extending downwardly into said slot to limit movement of said flap, and a ball within said box transfer board, a pair of parallel grooves in said board and having inwardly inturned flanges, and a sheet positioning and feeding device in each of said grooves and including a box member having a base plate slidable within the respective groove beneath the inturned flanges thereof, a spring carried by said plate and biased to frietionally engage a wall of said groove to retain said plate in selected position, a box-like housing mounted on said plate and including fixed top, side and rear walls, the bottom portions of said side walls and the lower corners of said rear wall being cut away to free the edges of said base plate, a front wall pivotally suspended between said side Walls for gravity movement to'feed a sheet from said transfer board, a lip protruding from said front wall to overlie the contacting edge of a sheet on said transfer board, a slot in said base plate below said front wall, a tongue eX- 7 RICHARD D. HAWES.

7 No references cited. 

